Chapter XIII.
SAVED FROM STARVATION.
When they arose next morning the air was much lighter, for it was nolonger snowing. Breaking their way out after breakfast, Aleck and Tugclimbed to the crest of the hummock above the house, where pretty soonthey were joined by Katy and Jim, anxious to get a look abroad. Therewas not much satisfaction in this, though. On all sides stretched anunbroken area of white--a spotless expanse of new snow such as younever can see on land, for there was nothing to break the colorlessmonotony, except where the hummock stretched away right and left, halfburied, and as white as the rest, save at a few points where crests ofupturned ice-blocks stood above the drifts.
"There is a higher point a little way over there," said Aleck to Tug;"let's go across, and see if it will show us anything new."
"Mayn't we come?" asked Jim.
"No, Youngster, stay with Katy. It would be a useless journey for you,and we'll soon be back."
And off they went, floundering up to their waists much of the time.
"Jim," says Katy, "I see, just beyond the hut"--pointing in thedirection opposite to that in which the lads had gone--"a space underthe edge of the hummock where the ice seems pretty clear. Understand?And look! don't you see that long, dark line there? I wonder what itcan be? Let us go and find out. We can get along easily enough after afew steps."
Jim strode ahead, and stamped down a path for Katy through the snowthat lay between their house and the clear space of ice that had beenswept by the eddy under the hummock, until, a moment later, they wereboth running along upon a clean floor towards the object they hadseen. Now they could make it out clearly; and at the first discoveryJim tossed his cap high in the air and gave a hurrah, in which thegirl joined, wishing she too had a cap to throw up. What do yousuppose it was that had so excited and gladdened them? Can't youguess?
_A log of wood frozen into the ice!_
"Now we can have all the fire we want."
"And I can keep the coffee hot for the second cup."
Then they looked at one another, and laughed and clapped their handsagain. Were two children ever before made so happy by the simplefinding of a log?
Just then they heard Aleck's voice:
"Hallo-o-o! Where are you?"
Jim jumped up, and was about to shout back, but his sister threw herhand over his mouth.
"Stop, Jimkin! Let them look for us, and have the fun of beingsurprised by our great discovery."
So both kept quiet, and let the boys shout. By and by they saw theirheads bobbing over the drift, and presently Tug came running towardsthem, with Aleck close behind.
"Why didn't you answer? Didn't you hear us? Hello! Whoop--la! Wood, orI'm a Dutchman!" and all echoed his wild shout, and tried to imitatehis dance, until the joy was bumped out of them by sudden falls on theslippery ice.
It was a tree trunk of oak, that had been floating about, frozen intothe ice, above the surface of which fully half of it was to be seen.The stubs of the roots were towards them, while the upper end of thetree, which had been a large one, was lost in a drift more than fortyfeet distant.
"There is enough good wood here," said Aleck, "to keep us warm for twomonths, if we don't waste it; and we ought to be very thankful."
"Then let's have a fire right away!" Jim exclaimed.
"All right, Youngster," was the Captain's response. "Fetch the axe,and we'll soon light up."
When Jim had disappeared, Katy asked her brother what he had seen.
"Nothing," was the reply. "And it would just be impossible to movehalf a mile a day in this snow. It's one of the deepest falls I eversaw. We've got to stay here, for all I see, till it melts, or crustsover, or blows away, or something else happens."
"Well, we have plenty of fuel now."
"Yes, but we can't live on oak--though we might on acorns. But herecomes Jimkin. Let's say no more about it now, Katy."
As the chips flew under Tug's blows, Katy gathered an armful, andhastened back to kindle a fire, while Jim and Aleck busied themselvesin clearing a good path, and in hauling the hand-sled from under theboat, where it had been jammed into the drift out of the way. By thetime it was ready Tug had chopped a sled-load of wood, and they hauledit to the house. It had been very awkward climbing over their wall ofboxes, but they had been afraid to move any part of it, for fear ofthrowing down the snow which had banked it up and made the place sotight and warm. However, there was one box which must shortly beopened in order to get at more provisions; so it was carefully moved,and the wood piled in its place, leaving a low archway underneath,through which they could crawl on their hands and knees.
"That's just like an _igloo_," said Katy.
"What's an 'igloo'?"
"An Eskimo house made of frozen snow, in the shape of a dome, andentered by a low door, just like this one. By the way, are you gettinghungry?"
"Yes; bring us something to eat."
They went back to their chopping. Pretty soon Katy came running out,bringing some crackers, a little hard cheese, and the last small jarof jelly--"just for a taste," she explained. Then she broke out withher story:
"Oh, boys, there's a whole lot of little birds--white andbrown--around the house. They seem to like to get near the smoke. I'mgoing to throw out some crumbs."
"Yes, do," said Tug, eagerly, "and I'll get my gun."
"What? to shoot them! Oh, no."
"But they will make good eating."
"Ye-e-s, I suppose so," agreed the kind-hearted girl; "but I hate tohave them shot."
"It's hard, I know," Aleck said, sympathizing more with his sisterthan with the birds, I fear; "but we need everything we can get. Itmay be a great piece of good-fortune that they have come, and--Holdup, Tug; aren't you afraid if you shoot at them they will be scaredaway for good?"
"No fear of that," was the answer; "and we have no other way. Comealong, Katy, and keep Rex quiet."
Luncheon was stuffed in their pockets, and all hastened towards thehouse.
There they still were--several flocks of birds resembling sparrows,but larger than any common sparrow, and white; so white, in fact, thatthey could only be seen at all against the snow by glimpses of a fewbrown and black feathers on their backs. In each flock, however, therewere one or two of a different sort, easily distinguishable by theirdarker plumage and rusty brown heads. Tug said they were Laplandlongspurs, and had pretty much the same habits as their numerousassociates. The whole flock of birds was very restless, constantlyrising and settling, but showed no disposition to go away, and tooklittle alarm at the four figures that stealthily approached.
"What are they?" whispered Aleck to Tug.
"White snow-flakes, or snow-buntings," he whispered back. "Mighty goodeating."
Creeping quietly into the house, Tug took his shot-gun out of the boatand hastily loaded it, but with great care to see that the priming waswell up in the nipple and a good cap on. Then he slung over hisshoulders his shot-pouch and powder-horn--a short, black,well-polished horn of buffalo, of which he was very proud, for it hadbeen a curiosity in Monore--and begged them all to stay in the houseand let him alone, unless he called to them, and, above all, to keepthe dog inside.
This said, he crawled forward out of the low doorway, holding his gunwell in front of him, and the other three sat down to wait for theresult.
Scarcely a minute had passed before a sharp report was heard, and alittle thud upon the canvas roof. At this sound Rex leaped up, and wasgreatly excited. His ears were raised, his eyes flashed, and he gaveseveral short, quick barks. But Aleck had twisted his fingers in thedog's mane, and forced him to drop down and keep quiet.
Very soon afterwards there rang out a second report, and again, aftertime enough to reload, a third. Then the sportsman's voice was heardcalling, and all ran out to see how many he had bagged.
"A SHARP REPORT WAS HEARD."]